powder and primers making a comeback

[ldsparamedic]

I was in my local gun shop today and the shelves were full of powder and they had more primers than I had seen in the past 10 months. I talked with one of the sales guys and they said they were starting to get regular shipments of both. I still can't find any Unique powder, however. Has anyone else noticed an increase in availability of powder and primers?

[Iwoots]

Too stocked up on primers & powder to notice.

But, I was at my local Fleet Farm today. Noticed that they had a full shelf of American made 5.56, 20 rnd boxes ($8.99); and even some 200 rnd boxes (think that was priced at $79.99).

[Kilroy]

Our area is starting to get primers to trickle in but purchases are still being limited to 2 packs of 100 primers per person per day. Some gun shops are still bare walls. Wally world here locally sells reloading supplies and doesn't have anything but some 30 cal lead bullets and a bunch of empty shelves. Don't look for them to carry reloading supplies much longer.

Last night my go-to gun shop had a box of 2500 Speer .45colt swc 200grain lead bullets for $49.95. Now I've got it. Moly-coated 100 last night and will reload them tomorrow.

[ldsparamedic]

Kilroy, what does the moly coating do and how do you do it?

[Kilroy]

Moly coating cuts down dramatically on lead fouling in the barrel and seems to lubricate the bullet a bit as it goes down the barrel. Cowboy loads might see a little improvement in group size, too.

It's really easy to do. I've not bought a container of molycoat in about three years and it lasts forever. A container is 2-3 oz. of powder and the last place I found it was Mid-South shooters supply.

You can apply it two ways...

First, you could put your bullets in your case tumbler with CLEAN, NEW cob or walnut hull media. Put 1 teaspoon of molycoat in with it and turn it on for 20 minutes (usually less depending on the number of bullets used) Then just sift the media out and save it, pour the bullets out on a layer of paper towel and roll them around for a few secondsto knock off the excess. Next time you can use the same media and probably not have to recharge it at all for a while.

Or...

You can put 20-30 bullets in a kraft paper bag (like a lunch bag) with a little media or a couple of strips of paper towel (like what you "dried" the bullets on) and 1/4 teaspoon or so of molycoat either in the media or on the paper towel if needed for the towel. Shake the bullets out and do the same with paper towel "drying" part. Save the paper bag and media for use next time. The stuff never goes bad.

It has cut down on my .45 colt cleaning a bunch.

[Kilroy]

EEK......

Just the bullets, not the loaded rounds.

Just to clarify that.

The bullets seem to go through the reloading press a little easier, too.

It also works with regular ball ammo, fmj, hollowpoints, etc. not just lead.

I've not tried it with the polymer tipped rounds, Noslers, Varmint grenades, etc.

Anybody tried moly coating those? Is it worth it?

[hunter63]

Scored some CCI 400 small rifle primers at the local Gander Mountain store this last week, but they went fast, and the COST is really up there!
Powder was in good supply, but selection was limited, (of course it always is)

My order for May to Cabala's not filled yet, on the primers, but my powder order was filled in a week or so.
We will see............
Did pick up a couple of molds for Muzzle-loader balls and Minnie's.
Also a lead pot.

Moly lub on .357, lead, wad cutters? (next mold, as I shoot a lot of .357)
Anyone have any experiance?

[Kilroy]

Yep. Semi-wads and wadcutters, too. Try it once and you may never fire "dry" bullets again.

Cabelas has cancelled my last two primer orders. I only ordered 2000 each time.

I went by my buddy's gun shop after lunch today and he's got 3 or 4 packs of primers in 200, 300, 400, but no magnum primers. I haven't seen any magnum primers in six months or more. He's got enough powder to re-enact Hiroshima, though.

I see that Wideners has linotype ingots for sale and in stock, too. One ingot,50 or 60 pounds of lead, will go a very long way and the mix is already right for bullets. You can bust off a piece and cast it into one pound ingots to re-cast later. Wheel weights work good,too...but they can be a little unstable at magnum velocities.

Hunter63 are you going to cast gas-check .357s or smooth wall?

[hunter63]

Looking at gas checks, as they seem to be able to handle higher loads.
Want to use the 6 cavity mold.

[jim]

I heard that moly was corrosive to the bore. True?

jim

[Kilroy]

Not that I've found. I've used it for several thousand rounds. It's more like putting graphite in a lock. It's just a type of dry lube. I checked the barrel on my .45 colt rifle, but it looks brand new.

Hunter63 if you are using AlOx or the like from Lee then you may be wasting money with the Moly.

[hunter63]

Haven't used anything yet, stuff just got here.
That's why I was interested in this thread, I am in the investigation stage.
So far just have the molds for the 12 ga slug and the double cavity for .50 cal muzzle-loader.
So far Lee is suggesting using bee's wax in with the lead for a mold lube.

Haven't ordered the .357 mold yet.

[blackpowderbill]

I have all kinds of sizing and lube goodies and have been using Lee Alox for several years now. It is easy,cheap and works great.
I've spoken with cusotmers who are sizing 7mm gas checked and lubing with alox and are having fantastic groups.

bpb

[Kilroy]

I've heard that about the AlOx. Gonna order some this evening to try.

[NotSoFast]

I recently was able to get 5000 small rifle primers at one of the online suppliers I buy from. My local shop still doesn't get a lot of primers in, but has been getting regular, if small, quantities of powder for the past 3 or so months.

[DM]

Most of the gunshops here have had some primers and powder for some time now, lately i'm seeing even more of both.

DM

[kawalekm]

Pure wax by itself is not the best bullet lube. You usually get better results if you add some proportion of vasoline to the mix. For a good stiff lube that won't melt in hot weather I've used 40% vasoline with 60% candle wax. You can increase the vasoline to 50% but it is a softer stickier lube that might melt in the trunk of your car.

You can get a lot of lube recipes at cast boolits...
http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/forumdisplay.php?f=58
though I have to say that some of the recipes look more complicated than baking a cake from scratch. You've have to work hard to come up with a recipe that's a big improvement over wax/vasoline.

Come on now Hunter, when are you going to get those bullets made and get out shooting?

Michael

[hunter63]

Come on now Hunter, when are you going to get those bullets made and get out shooting?

Michael

LOL, been going nuts, casting round balls, maxies, conicals for the .45 Ruger Old Army, 12 ga slugs, out of pure lead.

Gas check .158 SW for the .357, and round nose for the .44 mag's out of my new found wheel weights............Man, this can get addicting.

Need to get out to the range to try them out!
P.S. also need more boxes for the loaded rounds.

[NotSoFast]

Hunter63 - This is what I use. Inexpensive and reusable, especially when I continue to reload the same as what was in the box before.

http://www.michiganmilitia.com/budget/PMSR.htm

I also use these labels:

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=336978

[hunter63]

Hunter63 - This is what I use. Inexpensive and reusable, especially when I continue to reload the same as what was in the box before.

http://www.michiganmilitia.com/budget/PMSR.htm

I also use these labels:

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=336978

I guess I don't understand the first link, having to do with old military rifles?
Anyway, I do have a couple and haven't really reloaded for them yet as most of the surplus ammo is Bergen primed, or steel cased, and was cheap.

As far a labels go, I have been printing my own labels on the Word label printer option.

Picked up some cardboard bulk ammo boxes from Midway, as I have also been finding some good deals on unfired brass, so need some thing to put them in.

[NotSoFast]

Sorry. I didn't notice the wrong link. I was trying to link to MidwayUSA's cardboard ammo boxes with styrofoam inserts. They're inexpensive, caliber specific, and reusable.

Being new I can't edit my posts or I would make it right. Here is the link I intended to post as the first link.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=436315

[hunter63]

Sorry. I didn't notice the wrong link. I was trying to link to MidwayUSA's cardboard ammo boxes with styrofoam inserts. They're inexpensive, caliber specific, and reusable.

Being new I can't edit my posts or I would make it right. Here is the link I intended to post as the first link.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=436315

No worries, NSF, these are the same boxes I ordered, for the .357's and the .223's, picked up some more .44 brass, so I guess I will order the .44' boxes also.
Thanks for the link.